Automatic air and water pbopellek



A. A. AKE.

AUTOMATIC MR AND WATER PROPELLE R.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 24. 1918.

1 ,330,296. Patented Feb. 10, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l- INVENTOR.

A. A. AKE.

AUTOMATIC AIR AND WATER PROPELLER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 24, 1913.

1,330,296. Patented Feb. 10, 1920,

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IN VEN TOR. W aw Q Wl/IICJJ V fir:

A. A. AKE.

AUTOMATIC AIR AND WATER PROPELLER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 24. I9IB.

1,330,296. Patented Feb. 10,1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WI'INESS: INVENTOR.

W W a,

AM M t A. A. AKE. AUTOMATIC AIR AND WATER PROPELLER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 24, [918.

1,330,296. Patented Feb. 10,1920.

1 A x w A Q aw wig m I; "AZ N Ln I I w I N A H J W 2 H WITNESS: INVENTOR. /QWM' mm. A; W

UNITE s'ra PATENT orrros.

ALBERT A. AKE, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

AUTOMATIC AIR AND QiUlt'JIEIR. PROPELLER.

my object is to provide a new and useful device of this character which can operate equally as well in air or water and be employed to advantage in propelling aeroplanes, vessels, etc. A further object is to provide a device of this character which may be used as a windmill for operating pumps and other machinery or as a water wheel for operating grist mills, etc.

Other advantages will hereinafter be pointed out and in order that the invention may be fully understood, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the propeller.

Fig. 2 is a broken, plan view of the propeller.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section, taken on line III-III of Fig. 2 and showing the operation of the control lever in full and dotted lines.

Fig. 4; is a cross section on line IVIV of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a cross section on line V-V of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of one of a pair of cams employed in carrying out the invention.

Referring now in detail to the various parts, 1 designates oppositelv-disposed supporting members provided w th. bearin s 3 in which the propeller shaft 5 is iournaled.

7 designates a pair of s rocket wheels fixedly-mounted upon opposite ends of the shaft 5 to either transmit power thereto or therefrom according to the purpose r'or which the propeller is to be employed.

9 designates a propeller wheel which e1n bodies a hub 10 fixed upon the shaft 5, vanes 12 radiating from said hub 10, and reciprocatory valves 14 mounted upon said vanes 12.

Each vane 12 embodies a series of slats 16 spaced apart to leave intervening ports 18 for the passage of air or water as the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 10, 1920.

Application filed May 24, ieis. serial a... 236,285.

case may be, duringa: portion of each revolution. of the propeller wheel 9.

Each valve is embodies a series of slats 20 of about the same width as the slats 16 and spaced apart to leave intervening ports which coincide with the ports 18 when the valve is in open position as disclosed by Fig. t. The slats 20' are connected at their ends by bars 24 slidably mounted in guides 26 secured to the hub 10 and the outer ends of the respective vanes 12. The slats 20 of each valve 14 are also united by a valve rod 28, slidablv mounted in guides 30 fixed to opposite sides of the respective vanes 12. The opposite ends oteach valve rod 28 are provided with. swiveled yokes 32 in which flanged rollers 84 are journaled.

The rollers 34; are arranged to traverse a pair of came, 36 having faces 38 and 40, disposed on difierent planes and connected by oblique faces 42. Said cams 36 are fixedlysecured to the circular, intermediate por- 1 tions 4-4 of a control lever 46 embodving a pair of parallel members 48. ha ng the circular portions 44-, and a pair oi transverse handl s o unitino' the ends of said members 48. The circular po t ons 4 have h bs 52 freelv mounted upon the sha 't 5. so that the control le er 46 can he rocked up and down to t e full and rlntte l l ne positions, Fin. 3. whi e said shaft 5 is rotat ng.

In p actice. as the pro eller wheel 9 r tates the ro ers 3 (i the valve rods 22 suc -ossivelv traver e ta o 32. a d 40 oi the cams 36. V h s d rollers 34 are traversing the "F ces 38. the val es 11 are held in o e pos tion as d sc os h i 4, so that their re e ti e slats 9.0 will oii or but minimum resi ta e to the e ement in the r are, nnorntin r be it. air or motor but as the rol rs 2 traverse th tones an of the cams R6. the al es 14 ar shifted to the closed posit on di clos d bv Fin. 5. so that their respective sl s 20 i l ove t maximum power upon the element in which they are operating.

' Bv mountino' the cams 36 upon the control lever 46. it is obvious th t said cams mav be rocked in either direction. and thus cause the valves 14 to open and close at anv portion of each revolution of the propeller wheel 9. lhis feature of the invention is an important one, especiallv when the propeller is applied to an aeroplane, because it enables the valves to be adjusted to raise the aeroplane. directly. from the ground" instead of racing over the ground to attain suiticient velocity to ascend as heretofore, and after the aeroplane attainsthe desired elevation it may be propelled straight ahead or up and down at any'desired inclination by adjusting the control lever 46 accordingly. The 'foregoingremarks also apply when the propeller is employedon a submarine as the same can be caused to dive 0r'-'- ascend:- or move straight ahead through proper adjustmenuof the'control lever 46. v Oivingtotheconstruction of the propeller Wheel 9- itis equally effective *When rotating either'in-thedirection-of the arrow at or ina reverse; directiony'and it can operate either in ahorizontal or avertical position.

From the foregoing description iti anpalr'ent that I have produced a propeller embodying 'the features of" advantage above enumerated, and While I have shownand describedthe preferred formof my invention I reserve-the rightto make such changes -in=the construction, proportion, and arrangement of' parts as properly fall. with in J-the spirit and scope of the claims.

Having thus described my invention, What-I-claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-zr 1; In a device of-the character described, rotary I member,- a vane fixed to said rotary member and having a series of ports therein, a v'alveto' open and close said ports, a

valve rod connected to said valve to actuate the same, rollers mounted at theends of said valve rod, and means traversed by said rollers for actuatingthe'valve rod.

2. In a device of the character described, a rotary member, vanes radiating from said rotary member and provided with ports, valves reci'procably mounted on said vanes to open and close the ports, and oppositelydisposed cams to actuate aid valves.

3. In a device of the character described, arotary member, vanes-radiating fronr said rotary member and provided with ports, valves reciprocably mounted on said vanes to open and close the ports, oppositely-disposed came to actuate said valves, and a control lever to adjust said cams.-

4:. In a device of the character described, a rotarynmember, vanes radiating from said rotary member and provided with; ports, valves reciprocably mounted on said vanes to open and close the ports, guides for said valves, sWiveled rollers associated with opposite sides of said valves to actuate the same, cams traversed by said rollers, and a control lever rockable on the rotary means toadjust said cams axially.

In testimony, whereof I atlixmy signature, in the presence of'two witnesses.

ALBERT A. AKE. lVitnesses:

PRESTON R. AKE, F. G. FISCHER. 

